Can I use Avios for Finnair flights?

Can you spend your Avios points on flights on Finnair?  

In this article I want to look at how you can use your Avios to fly with partner airlines like Finnair.

I have done this myself – here is my review of Finnair’s new business class.

The good news is that you are not restricted to spending Avios points on British Airways.  BA is part of a global airline alliance called oneworld, and this allows you to redeem Avios for flights with all of the member airlines.

This means that you can book Avios flights on:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• SriLankan Airlines

British Airways also has additional partnerships with Aer Lingus, LATAM and China Southern.

How do you book Finnair flights with Avios?

In March 2024, Finnair adopted Avios as its own loyalty currency. In May / June 2024, you will be able to transfer Avios from British Airways Executive Club to Finnair Plus and book directly from the Finnair website.

You don’t need to wait until then to take advantage of Finnair though. You can book flights via ba.com in exactly the same way that you would when booking Avios redemption flights on British Airways.

Go to ba.com, log in to the British Airways Executive Club section and then go to the Avios booking page.

The cost, in both Avios and surcharges, should match what Finnair Plus would charge.

What are the cancellation rules on Finnair flights booked with Avios?

The cancellation and change fee rules are the same as if you had booked a British Airways flight.  You can cancel your flight up to 24 hours before departure, either online or by calling BA.

100% of your Avios will be refunded.

Your taxes and charges payment will also be refunded, less a £35 cancellation fee per person.  If the taxes and charges were less than £35 per person, you do not need to pay any extra.

How many Avios will I need to book on Finnair?

When Finnair adopted Avios in March 2024, it adopted a new reward chart. British Airways agreed to use the same chart for Finnair flights booked on ba.com.

Here is the table, showing one-way prices:

Connecting flights are charged leg by leg. To work out the cost of a Heathrow to Tokyo flight, via Helsinki, you need to look up the cost of both legs.

As you can see, it is very easy to book Finnair flights with Avios points and it opens up a large number of new travel destinations for you. From May / June 2024, when you can transfer Avios into Finnair Plus from BA, you will also be able to use Avios to upgrade Finnair flights.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 2.5 million monthly page views.  Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios?  Click here to read our latest news stories and click here to join the mailing list for our weekly or daily email newsletters.)

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.